Liberalism in the New Millennium: Ian McEwan's Saturday

Abstract

This article focuses on Ian McEwan's recent novel, Saturday (2005), in which he explores a number of the dilemmas facing the contemporary liberal, such as how to accept one's involvement in the world without compromising one's individual autonomy; how to balance personal freedom and personal responsibility; and how to manage one's private life in the context of urgent global issues. Saturday returns to the fundamental liberal concern of the individual's right to life, liberty and the pursuit f happiness, but it does so in the altered circumstances of a globalised world in which those very values of life, liberty and happiness are seen to be under threat from a number of new hostile forces, ranging from radical Islamic terrorism to casual violence on city streets. Written in the shadow of 9/11, and set on Saturday 15 February 2003 - the day of international protest against the proposed invasion of Iraq - the novel takes the form of a day-in-the-life narrative, following surgeon Henry Perowne around London as he considers the peculiarly modern burden of life in the new millennium. Saturday has been described as one of the most serious contri­butions to post-9/11 literature, most notably for the skill and careful ambiguity with which the evidence and arguments are distributed throughout the text.

Opsomming

Hierdie artikel fokus op Ian McEwan se onlangse roman Saturday (2005), waarin hy 'n aantal dilemmas verken waarmee die hedendaagse liberalis te kampe het, soos hoe om 'n mens se betrokkenheid by die wereld te aanvaar sonder om jou individuele outonomie in gevaar te stel; hoe om persoonlike vryheid en persoonlike verantwoordelikheid te balanseer; en hoe om jou privaatlewe in die konteks van dwingende globale vraagstukke te bestuur. Saturday keer terug na die fundamentele liberale kwelpunt van die individu se reg op lewe, vryheid en die navolging van geluk. Dit word egter ondersoek in die veranderde omstandighede van 'n geglobali­seerde wereld waarin die persepsie bestaan dat juis hierdie waardes van lewe, vryheid en geluk bedreig word deur 'n aantal nuwe vyandige magte wat wissel van radikale lslamitiese terrorisme tot lukrake geweld op straat. Geskryf in die skadu van 9/11, speel die verhaal af op Saterdag 15 Februarie 2003 - die dag van inter­nasionale protes teen die voorgenome inval in lrak. Die roman neem die vorm van 'n dag-in-die-lewe-vertelling aan, en volg die chirurg Henry Perowne in sy bewegings in Londen en terwyl hy die vreemde moderne lewenslas van die nuwe millennium oordink. Saturday word beskryf as een van die ernstigste bydraes tot post-9/11- letterkunde, veral weens die vaardigheid en sorgvuldige dubbelsinnigheid waarmee die getuienis en argumente deur die hele teks heen verweef is.